An Ordinary Love (A Christian Contemporary Romance) (Sidney's Sanctuary Book 1)

by Tina Bustamante

  Sidney grabbed the tray of mugs that Betty had organized. She pulled the coffee pot out and handed it to Candace.“What about you? What about Danny? Isn’t he the boy that Betty chased you out of the house over?”

  “The one and only.”

  “He’s cute.”

  Candace’s face turned serious.“I’m not interested in Danny.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’s not cute.”

  They walked out of the kitchen just as Kell and Pastor Matt were coming in with all the dishes. Pastor Matt asked Sidney,“Would you like us to do the dishes?”

  “No, that’s fine.” She pulled on Matt’s arm.“Matt, I’m so sorry about that scene at the dinner table.”

  Matt smiled at her.“Don’t worry about us, Sidney. Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine. Just have some weighty decisions to make. Why don’t you guys go into the living room for some fresh coffee and we’ll have dessert in a few minutes.”

  They followed Sidney and Candace back out to the living room.

  Sidney noticed that every time Candace sat down, Danny ended up sitting near her. Each time, Candace stood up and moved somewhere else. Sidney sat next to Jake and chatted with him about school, fishing, and his latest adventures.

  Dan asked Betty if he could see the room where she’d been sleeping. The room got very quiet. Betty cleared her throat.“Why do you want to see my room?” she asked, putting her hand on her hip.

  “I just do is all,” he told her.

  Betty shrugged.“Don’t see why not. I know where you’ve been sleeping.” She stood up and led Dan up the stairs. Sidney smiled to herself. She was going to be blown away by the roses.

  It took a long time for Betty to come back. When she finally came down the stairs, her face was blotchy and her lipstick was smeared. Her red blouse didn’t lieas nicely as it had before. Big Dan’s tie was jerked over to the side and both of them had a look of kids caught stealing a cookie out of the cookie jar. No one spoke a word.

  Sidney served dessert. Pastor Matt helped her. In the kitchen,he took Sidney by the arm.“I would like to talk to you about Candace and about the other day.”

  Sidney widened her eyes.“Yes? What is it?”

  “It’s complicated, but I’d like to help her find an adoption agency. I just have to figure out how to have a difficult conversation with Astrid.”

  Sidney shook her head.“We don’t have to talk about this right now. It’s Thanksgiving.”

  “Yes, but I felt I wanted you to know. I’m here and willing to help.”

  “Thank you, Matt.”

  Matt pinched his lips together.“Of course. It’s complicated with her grandmother.”

  Sidney leaned into him and spoke in a quiet voice.“I know Astrid is a mean spirited woman who shows very little compassion. Perhaps, if you put her in her place instead of letting her run through your church like she owns it, she might be forced to come to terms with her ugly self.”

  Her conversation ended with Pastor Matt when Betty came into the kitchen.

  “Amanda and Mary are leaving,” she told them.

  “Thanks, Betty,” she said and turned to Pastor Matt,“If you’ll excuse me.”

  Amanda and Mary stood at the door, putting their jackets on. Mary took Sidney’s hand in both of hers, wrapping it up in warmth and kindness.“Thank you so much for letting us come. We enjoyed ourselves.”

  Kell spoke behind them.“Jake, it’s time for us to go home too,” he said.“We’ve got a lot to do tomorrow.”

  Jake’s eyes brightened.“We’re going to get our tree this weekend and hang up all the lights.”

  “Very nice.”

  Pastor Matt carried a bag of leftovers. Sidney put her hand on his shoulder.“Thank you for coming. It was a bright day for me, not gray at all.”

  “Thank you for having us,” he said.

  She turned to Kell.“Thank you for what you did earlier at the table. Have a good evening and enjoy your weekend.”

  He looked her in the eyes.“I hope to see you over the weekend,” he said.

  “I’ll be quite busy with my house guests that are arriving tomorrow, but I’d like to see you too. Thanks again.” She gave him her kindest smile.

  ~

  Kell couldn’t believe Jeff’s proposal to Sidney. He trudged up the stairs to put Jake to bed. He read aloud to him for ten minutes, then cut it short. He hugged Jake goodnight. As he was turning out the light, Jake brought up Jeff’s proposal himself.

  “Do you think Sidney’s going to say yes to that guy and get married again?” he asked, propping his head up on his arm and staring at his dad with a serious face.

  Kell hated that Jeff guy and he hated the way he treated Sidney. Right at the very beginning, he could see the man wasn’t in love with Sidney, he just didn’t want to be alone. Kell wanted to punch him in the face.“I don’t know, son. I just don’t know. It sounds like they were together for a long time. He might be the best guy for her.”

  Jake sat up.“No, he isn’t. You are, Dad. And you’ve got to tell her. She’d much rather be with you than with that guy in the glasses. You’re way cooler.”

  Kell leaned against the doorway.“It’s isn’t like that, Jake. If she loves him, there’s not much I can do.”

  “Well, if she knew she had another option, maybe she’d choose you. You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

  Kell chuckled to himself.“Touché,” he said.“Sleep well, kiddo.”

  He went downstairs and sat down on the couch and turned on the television. Jake was funny. But he had a point. However, Kell didn’t know what he could say to Sidney. He wasn’t ready for a relationship and Sidney needed to decide about Jeff without his interference. They’d agreed to be friends. Why couldn’t he simply settle for a friendship and call it good? What was wrong with him?

  Chapter Sixteen

  A Reconciliation

  Sidney, Betty, and Candace cleaned up for almost two hours before Jeff came into the kitchen. His shirt was disheveled and his face reflected a hardness Sidney hadn’t seen in him very often.

  “Sidney, I have to go in a few minutes to catch the ferry. Could we talk,please?” His voice was short, almost curt.

  Sidney pursed her lips and set down the dishtowel.“Yes.”

  She decided to walk him to her office. The office seemed less intimate than her bedroom. She pointed to the two leather chairs and sat in the furthest one. She brushed her hair back from her face and pondered the best way to proceed. Her heart was torn, frustrated, and overwhelmed.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.“I’m sorry about dinner.” He waved his hand in the air.“It was bad timing. I should have asked you in a different way.”

  Sidney’s face changed, it softened.“I’m glad you understand. I wasn’t prepared. I knew you were coming because you wanted us to get back together. There was no need to make such a big spectacle out of it.”

  He nodded and pushed his glasses further up his nose.“I know. I’ve been thinking about this weekend since we met for coffee last month. It seemed romantic at the time. I’m sorry.”

  She pinched her lips together and crinkled her eyebrows. What was she going to do with this? He was being so nice, so kind. She was tired and nostalgic, and couldn’t seem to make sense of everything.“Thank you. I’ll seriously consider it, Jeff.” She stared at her hands in her lap for a moment.“It’s just that I’ve started to like living here. I’m not sure I’m ready to move.”

  Jeff nodded and put his hand on her arm.“I realized this year that I don’t want to lose you, Sid.” He pulled her into his arms. She stiffened.“I want our life back, the one we used to have.”

  Her throat constricted.“Thank you. That’s nice to hear. But, you left me for another woman. You broke my heart.”

  Jeff’s eyes shifted and he took her hand.“And I’m horribly sorry. I’ve prayed and prayed that you’d forgive me. We had a good marriage, once. You could get your job back and we could go back to
how things were, or you could get a job at a different school. We could sell this house and use some of the money for a second honeymoon. We could go to Europe or something.”

  Sidney took a deep breath. Sell the house and use the money for a second honeymoon? Why couldn’t Jeff have decided he wanted her back before she’d moved to Perez.“I need some more time to think about everything. I don’t trust you, Jeff. You cheated on me. How do I know you won’t cheat on me again?”

  He cupped her cheek with his hand.“I won’t let you down. I promise. I’ve realized that having stability and consistency is worth more than grand love affairs. You are goodness incarnate. I need you in my life. You’re like an anchor.”

  A cloud of confusion descended upon her. Isn’t this what she wanted? She knew Jeff; they had a history together. They could start a family. After all, she’d hardly even opened her inn to the public yet. All the work she’d put into the house would make it more valuable. And truthfully, she wouldn’t have moved to Perez Island if Jeff hadn’t cheated.

  ~

  A few hours later, Sidney went through the house one more time to make sure everything looked pristine. Her first overnight guests were due to arrive tomorrow afternoon. She wanted to be ready in the morning. Astrid’s intimidation tricks had not worked after all. Two couples had cancelled, but two others had called to reserve rooms.

  Jeff had taken the ferry about an hour earlier. She was grateful to see him go. She needed to think.

  Candace washed dishes, Betty swept, and Sidney cleared everything out of the way and put the leftover food in containers.

  Betty turned to Sidney as she set the plastic container of pink salad in the fridge.“So, what are you going to do with Iron Man?”

  Sidney’s eyes welled up with tears. She put her hands in the air.“I have no idea.”

  Candace, who was sitting on the kitchen island stool, spoke.“Are you still in love with him?”

  Sidney crossed her arms and pinched her lips together.“That’s just it. I don’t know. It’s not that simple.”

  “Tell me about it,” Candace said.

  Betty reached over and set her arm on Sidney’s shoulder.“What about Kell? He obviously likes you. Do you think you could ever imagine something with him?”

  “Kell?” Sidney shook her head.“He does not like me. His son likes me. His dad likes me. He doesn’t even act like a normal human being most of the time.” Sidney shook her head.“However, today he saved the day. He was a true friend.”

  Betty stopped for a moment and looked Sidney square in the eyes.“We’d hate to lose you, Sidney. You’re a bright shining light on this island.”

  Candace flicked some water on Sidney.“What would we do without you?”

  “Exactly what you were doing before I got here.”

  Betty pointed at her.“It was a lot more boring, let me tell you.” Her voice was serious and subdued.

  “What about Jeff? He’s trying to be a good man.”

  Betty wet a washcloth and started washing down the counters.“I know that. And I’m all for trying to make a marriage work. But don’t go back if you’re going to regret it.” She paused for a moment and grazed Sidney’s cheek with her hand.“We’d miss you, dear.”

  “I don’t even want to think about you leaving,” Candace said.

  Betty went over to the sink and rinsed out the washcloth, then rung it out again.“I know. It puts me in a foul mood.”

  Sidney looked at Betty and then over at Candace. Her face was troubled; she didn’t have the lightheartedness she’d grown to appreciate about herself on Perez. “Thanks. I should go to bed. I’m tired.” She hugged Betty.“Thank you for everything you did today. You were wonderful.”

  Sidney took Candace by the hand and pulled her into a hug as well.“I am so glad you’re here and it wouldn’t have been Thanksgiving without you.”

  “Thanks, Sidney,” she whispered.“So much.”

  ~

  Sidney walked to her bedroom. She needed to get to sleep. She had her grand opening the next morning, Christmas lights to put up, and a tree to buy. The Christmas season was about to begin. She was thinking of Jeff and wishing he hadn’t come.

  Sidney pulled down the blankets and flipped out the light. She was just stepping into her soft bed when a loud pounding on the door startled her.

  She took a breath and forced her heart to calm down. She reached for her phone and pulled her robe off the hook that hung on her door.

  Big Dan stood peering in the front door window. His hair was tousled and he was wearing a bathrobe and a pair of plaid flannel pants not unlike the ones she’d seen Betty wearing the first day she came.

  Sidney opened the door.

  “I’m sorry to bother you Sidney, but I need to see my wife.”

  Before Sidney could make him leave, assuring him that he could come during normal daytime hours, Betty appeared at the top of the stairs. She had on a bathrobe as well and her hair was tousled all over the place.“Dan, is that you?”

  “I had to see you Betty. I got your text,” he said, holding up his little phone.“Thank you for what you said.”

  “No, thank you for the roses, Dan. They are beautiful.”

  “You are beautiful, Elizabeth. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. I love you. I was wrong and I hurt you, beyond anything I could ever say to make it better. It was me. I was the one who had the problem. It was never about you. I got lost. But, I love you and I want you to come home.”

  “Dan you’ve been saying that for weeks now. I know you want me to come home.”

  He shook his head and stepped closer to the railing.“You don’t understand. I don’t want you to come home so that you can cook and clean, although I miss your cooking. I want you to come home because you belong there. You are my home, my life, my heart. It doesn’t work without you.”

  Sidney took a step back into the shadows. Betty stepped toward her husband. Her face softened.

  Dan leaned in.“I miss you so much my heart actually aches. I’ve been thinking I was going to have a heart attack and I realized it was because I missed you.” He shook his head real fast, as if trying to convince himself to say what he needed to say.“But that’s not what I want to say. I want to say that I’m sorry. I’m not good with words, but I really am sorry. I shouldn’t have done what I did. And if you want to get a divorce, I won’t stand in the way. I want you to be happy, Betty. And I’ve seen you these last few months. I can tell you weren’t happy before. But, I love you and want to be a better man, for you.”

  “Then why’d you cheat on me, Dan? Why’d you let that testosterone of yours lead you astray if you love me so much?”

  “I was a fool who wanted to feel young for a few weeks, for a few minutes, and in the end I only ended up feeling older. It was me, Betty. It wasn’t you,” he said, holding out his hand.“She’s gone. She’s not coming back. I’m so sorry. More than you’ll ever know. I know I broke your heart. Please let me be the one to help mend it.”

  Betty stared at him for a long time without saying a word. For once, Sidney thought, she’d been rendered speechless. Finally, one tear escaped out of her eye. Her strong exterior crumbled.“I can’t go back to how things were before. I can’t feel like your slave. Like the only thing I live for is to take care of you. My life’s got to be bigger than that.”

  He stepped closer to her.“Absolutely. I shouldn’t be the center of anyone’s life. I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to do all that for me.”

  “I like it here with Sidney and Candace. I like teaching them how to cook and helping get everything ready.”

  “Of course. Work here as much as you want, hire a housekeeper at our house. Does that mean, you’ll think about coming back home?”

  Sidney’s ears burned. She couldn’t believe it. This was love. The lying, cheating, bastard, wasn’t such a lying, cheating bastard after all. He did know how to love. And right in front of Sidney, like a blazing poster board, she saw how different his w
ords were from Jeff’s. Jeff’s words had left her wondering if he really ever loved her, Dan’s words screamed love and care and understanding.

  Betty moved into her husband’s arms. They were crying and kissing. Before Sidney could say anything, Betty glanced over at her.“I’ll come tomorrow to help get everything ready.”

  “No, I’ll take care of tomorrow. You come Saturday morning to make breakfast.”

  “Okay, then.” She walked to Sidney and put her hand to her cheek.“You are a wonderful friend.”

  Dan set his arm around Betty’s shoulders, and together, they disappeared into the night.

  Sidney closed the door. Candace had missed another nocturnal adventure. That girl could sleep through a hurricane.

  Sidney leaned against the door for a moment. She ran her fingers through her hair and wandered back to her room. A strange feeling of sorrow mixed with hope intermingled in her heart. Big Dan loved Betty. If Dan and Betty, as eccentric and stubborn as they are, could hold it together after so much pain, perhaps she and Jeff did have a future.

  Except at the core of her relationship with Jeff, at the base of her feelings for him, she recognized they weren’t the same feelings for Jeff that Betty had for Dan. In her love for Jeff, in Jeff’s love for her, there had never been any risk, any vulnerability that made her truly afraid and also truly free. Sidney thought of the risk she was taking in going back to Jeff, but where was Jeff’s risk? Jeff came and put himself out there, but he assumed she’d say yes. He never considered she might say no. Jeff’s life would go on and he’d be comfortable. She was the one who’d have to make all the sacrifices. How would she know Jeff really loved her, if he didn’t have to risk anything for her?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Unexpected happenings

  Kell woke the morning after Thanksgiving and decided to buy coffee and the morning paper before he put the Christmas lights on the house. The Gypsy Cat Café was open. Amanda smiled warmly as he walked in. He ordered his drip coffee.